Running Scared
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Set post "What Happens in Jersey...". Mel is running scared, but Joe insists they need to talk about what happened. Mel/Joe


**I don't own Melissa and Joey and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Mel knew she shouldn't have run, but what happened in New Jersey had her scared shitless. And Austin showing up and telling her he wants kids with her had been an unwelcome surprise, but she seized the distraction and ran with it. What she hadn't expected was for Joe to show up. She figured he'd be busy with Nona's funeral.

"What are you doing here?" A hurt Joe tried not to glare at Austin.

A confused Austin immediately guessed something was going on. "I came here to ask Mel for another chance. I want a family with her."

Mel nervously laughed and splayed her hands up. "Surprise!"

Both men stared at her. "I'm just going to go. I'm obviously not wanted here." Joe was just about to step out when Lennox came through and saw the scene in front of her.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"Language," Joe and Mel scolded at the same time. They looked away from each other quickly as Lennox rolled her eyes.

Austin couldn't keep quiet any longer. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'll call you later or maybe even later."

Mel couldn't let him go, despite her fear. She was even more terrified of losing him. "Wait, don't go!"

"Why should I stay?" A furious Joe tampered down on the fear and scowled at her.

Mel was desperately trying to find any reason for him to stay without giving herself away. "Because the kids need you! You shouldn't be alone with your grief! You've had a very long drive. Did you drive?" She was aware how hysterical she sounded, but honestly couldn't find a reason to care.

"What is happening?" Ryder petted his rat and watched them all in confusion.

Austin was right there with him. "Did I miss something? Clearly I walked in on something and I don't know what." He _suspected_, but there was honestly no proof.

"You didn't miss anything. Hey, why don't you all go out to eat while I take a bath?" Okay, putting Joe and Austin in the same room to eat wasn't one of her greatest ideas, but all Mel wanted to do was bolt.

Lennox had had enough and rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's it. Aunt Mel, calm the hell down. Austin, yes, you missed something. I'm assuming you're here because you want to be with my aunt, but sorry, that's not going to happen. They slept together in New Jersey. Aunt Mel freaked and fled back home. And we're all caught up." She smirked at them.

And now Austin had his proof. "I don't want to get in the middle of something, so I'm going to leave. Joe, you can go. Mel, call me if you want to."

Mel chuckled nervously. "I might!" She waved goodbye as Austin walked out of the house, most likely for good. She instinctively knew she wasn't ever going to see or call him again.

Awkwardness descended upon the house. Lennox and Ryder knew they had to get their stuff out of the car, but neither – especially Lennox – wanted to miss anything. "Kids, put your things down and get everything out of the car," Joe ordered.

Mel watched them leave and actually ran to the kitchen. She grabbed a piece of chocolate cake out of the fridge and then went outside to stress eat it. She delved into it quickly just as Joe came outside. "What are you doing?"

"I came out here to talk to you. What did you say to Austin?"

Mel waved her hand around to indicate there was food in her mouth. She reluctantly chewed slowly to avoid the conversation, and when she finally swallowed the last bite, she tried to plot a way to escape. She could get in her car and drive somewhere, couldn't she? "I just told him that I was honored he was willing to make a change." Deep down, she didn't want him to reverse the vasectomy and then resent her and their possible kids. Besides, Mel didn't love him (but she loved Joe, a thought she quickly tried to forget).

"And what about me? What we had meant something."

"Don't be ridiculous. It was just really drunk sex." It really wasn't, but Mel was desperate to get out of this talk.

"It wasn't and you know it. You're just terrified and you ran. You still are."

Mel took her plate back in the kitchen. "I am not scared. Where the hell are you getting that I'm scared?"

"For one, your reaction. And you're shaking."

She looked down at her hands and noticed it was true. "That means nothing. I'm in withdrawal from no wine?" Mel hoped he bought her lie.

He really didn't. "Why are you so afraid of us? We've been denying this for three years and I'm sick of it. We need to talk about this like rational adults." He was scared too, but at least he wasn't running like her. He was willing to work for this.

"I'm not scared." She was terrified Joe was about to tell her how he really felt, though, and as much as she wanted to hear them, she didn't know what to do.

"Mel, come on." Now frustrated, he just wanted Mel to admit the truth, at least to herself. She was obviously freaked out and in denial.

And that's when she finally gave up. Mel was beyond terrified, but she could no longer run or lie to herself (or Joe). "Fine. I'm fucking scared beyond belief. You happy now?" She tried to choke back the sobs that wanted to escape, but it wasn't easy.

"No, I'm not happy you're scared. But you don't have to be. I'm scared of what could happen too, but at least I didn't run." Joe smiled nervously at her.

"What if this ruins us? I don't want to lose you! I don't want the kids to lose you! We're a family now. And what we had was amazing, it really was, but I don't want this to end badly. We're better off as friends." This time she couldn't hold back the tears and sniffled.

Joe wiped the tears off her face. "We don't know unless we try. And it may or may not ruin us. You can't automatically think the worst. We can be good together, don't you think?"

She looked down. "Maybe," Mel conceded.

He smiled. "Hey, look at me." When she did a few seconds later, he continued. "We need to try. I love you." Joe had been trying to deny it for a while now, but he no longer could. And he felt better now that the truth was out there.

And there were those three words Mel had been dreading. But they made her happy and she couldn't help the grin that was now plastered across her face. "You love me?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"I love you, too." She laughed, now exhilarated. Mel was still terrified of the relationship going wrong, but she felt a lot better with Joe's reassurances.

He laughed and then pulled her in closer for a kiss. "I'm glad to hear it."

A squeal from the stairs interrupted the two and they pulled apart. "Oh shit, I shouldn't have done that," Lennox muttered as she and Ryder walked down.

"You really shouldn't have, but whatever. I'm too happy to care right now." The fear had faded completely for Mel and she was glad. She was going to worry, but that was okay. Joe felt the same way and they could deal together.

Lennox hugged them both and then danced her way into the living room to get the rest of her things out of the car. Ryder shrugged. "Whatever. I just don't want to see you two doing something I don't want to see." He sighed and then reluctantly followed Lennox out.

"You're missing Nona's funeral," Mel realized. She hated that she had pulled him away from his family by bolting.

"It's fine. I got to spend the last few days of her life with her and she was happy. Especially about us. I said my goodbyes."

"As long as you're sure."

"Oh, I'm definitely sure, baby." Joe kissed her again and the two walked into the living room. They sat down to watch TV.

Their relationship wasn't going to be easy, but Mel and Joe hadn't expected it to be. They had finally acted upon three years of sexual tension and made up for the lost time in multiple ways. Running scared hadn't been Mel's decision, but it had been the right one in the long run. And they had Nona to thank for everything that had happened in New Jersey. Mel and Joe repaid her years later by naming their daughter after her.


End file.
